Device for loading an artillery piece

ABSTRACT

A loading device for loading an artillery piece, particularly a heavy artillery piece, comprises an inclined loading table which is located at the rear of the piece to one side of the barrel, the loading table including a plurality of slots through which cams protrude to orient and support a plurality of rounds on the table, and an actuating member which is operative to selectively move the cams to achieve a controlled rolling of the rounds laterally along the inclined table toward the lowermost edge of the table. Transferring means comprising a loading tray with or without an associated loading trough, are positioned adjacent the lowermost edge of the loading table to receive a round which rolls off the table, and the transferring means are movable to transfer each such round, in succession, from the loading table to a ramming position at the barrel of the piece.

United States Patent [1 1 Eriksson DEVICE FOR LOADING AN ARTILLERY PIECE [75] Inventor: Carl-Erik Eriksson, Karlskoga,

Sweden [73] Assignee: AB Bolors, Bofors, Sweden [22] Filed: Mar. 25, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 454,499

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Apr. 2, 1973 Sweden 7304589 [52] US. Cl. 89/45 [5]] Int. Cl. F41F 9/06 [58] Field ofSearch 89/33 A, 33 B, 45, 46, 89/47 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,306,l6$ 2/l967 Christiansson 89/33 B 3,33l,28l 7/1967 Jafvert 89/33 B FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS 29,762 1906 United Kingdom 89/46 Dec. 23, 1975 Primary Examiner-Stephen C. Bentley Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Elliott l. Pollock [57] ABSTRACT A loading device for loading an artillery piece, particularly a heavy artillery piece, comprises an inclined loading table which is located at the rear of the piece to one side of the barrel, the loading table including a plurality of slots through which cams protrude to orient and support a plurality of rounds on the table, and an actuating member which is operative to selectively move the cams to achieve a controlled rolling of the rounds laterally along the inclined table toward the lowermost edge of the table. Transferring means comprising a loading tray with or without an associated loading trough, are positioned adjacent the lowermost edge of the loading table to receive a round which rolls off the table, and the transferring means are movable to transfer each such round, in succession, from the loading table to a ramming position at the barrel of the piece.

6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 Sheet 1 of4 3,927,598

US. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 Sheet 2 of4 3,927,598

U.S. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 Sheet 3 0M 3,927,598

US. Patent Dec.23, 1975 Sheet4of4 3,927,598

Fig. 7

DEVICE FOR LOADING AN ARTILLERY PIECE The present invention relates to a device that can be used for loading an artillery piece, particularly a heavy artillery piece, comprising a loading table intended to carry a number of rounds and a feeding mechanism for feeding rounds, one at a time, to transferring members, by means of which the rounds are transferred from a position at the loading tableto a ramming position at the barrel of the piece. 1

When loading field artillery pieces, the various operations involved in the loading are carried out manually, to a great extent. Particularly in the case of heavy artillery, the manual loading work is heavy and time-consuming, which involves a certain limitation of both the rate of fire and the capability of maintaining fire. Further, the crew must be behind and in the immediate vicinity of the piece when ramming takes place, which is very unsatisfactory from the point of view of safety.

The purpose of the invention is, through mechanization of the loading procedure, to increase the rate of fire and the capability of maintaining fire of artillery pieces, and to reduce the risks for injuries in connection with the loading.

The loading device according to the invention is mainly characterized in that theloading table is connected with the traversing parts of the piece and is plane carrying the rounds inclined in towards the side,

of the barrel, that the feeding mechanism has cams that can be controlled with an actuating device, arranged to keep the rounds oriented substantially parallel to a vertical plane through the axis of the bore of the firearm and in dependence of guides, by means of the actuating member achieve a controlled rolling of the rounds laterally towards the transferring member.

The loading device according to the invention is described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings, in which FIG. 1 shows a plan view, from above, of a first embodiment'of the loading device mounted on a field artillery piece,

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the loading device with certain parts shown in an X-ray view,

FIGS. 3 and 4 are cross sections of the device shown in FIG. 2, v 6

FIGS. 5 and 6 are a perspective view and a side view, respectively, of a loading trough belonging to the first embodiment, and

FIG. 7 is a plan view, from above, of a second embodiment of the loading device.

FIG. I shows schematically the right,.re ar part of a field artillery piece provided with a wheel I and a carriage trail 2. The corresponding left wheel and carriage trail have been omitted for want of space. Other parts of the piece which are shown are the breech ring 3 with a hydraulically operated rammer 4. The center line of the elevating trunnion is designated 5.

The loading device shown in FIG. 1, comprises a loading table 6, on which three rounds 7 have been placed, a loading trough 8 with one round, and a loading tray 9, also carrying one round. The loading tray 9 is provided with parallelogram suspension consisting of two swinging arms 11 supported at the right beam Ila of the cradle. The loading tray 9 thereby participates in the elevating movement of the cradle around the axis 5, and thus always has an inclination corresponding to the angle of elevation. With the aid of the swinging arms 11, the loading tray 9 can be swung or displaced from the loading position shown in solid lines to the ramming position shown in dash lines, and the displacement of the loading tray between these positions is achieved by means of well-known hydraulic operating members, not shown.

The loading table 6, which is shown more clearly in FIGS. 2-4, is fixed to the traversing parts of the piece, constitutes a supporting surface for three rounds, and is provided with a mechanism for feeding the rounds, one at a time, as will be described in more detail in the following. In its longitudinal direction the loading table is arranged generally horizontally and is inclined approximately l0 towards the loading trough 8, to facilitate the feeding of the rounds.

The feeding device comprises two shafts 12, which are rotatably supported under the loading table 6. Each shaft 12 is provided with a first series of earns 13 and a second series of earns 14. The cams 14 are displaced at a 90 angle in relation to the cams 13. The loading table is provided with slots 15, corresponding to the earns 13, I4. The shafts 12 can be rotated by means of a control rod 16, which is provided with pins 17, which coact with levers 18, provided with slots and arranged on the shafts 12. The control rod 16 is provided with a handle 19, which by means of the feeding device can be operated by a loader, who has his position on a seat 20 (FIG. 1), as will be described in the following.

The loading trough 8, which is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, is rotatably supported on a shaft 21, which is extended to form a handle 22. The turning movement of the loading trough 8 is blocked by means of a latching device 23, which via an actuating mechanism 24 can be controlled by means of push button 25 placed at the end of the handle 22. The loading trough 8 is supported on a pendulum arm 26, which is rotatable around a support 27, which is coaxial with the trunnion center 5 of the piece (FIG. I). The pendulum arm 26 is springactuated by a spring 28, which is arranged in such a way that the loading trough, when empty, assumes the position shown in FIGS. 2-4 at the level of the loading table. 6, and when loaded with a round swings down to the position shown in FIG. 6, where the movement of the arm 26 is halted by a stop in the-form of a rubber pad 29. The pad 29 is arranged on the elevating mass of the piece, and thus the loading trough 8 is always stopped in the correct position in relation to the loading tray 9, regardless of the angle of elevation of the piece.

The loading device described above functions in the following way. When the handle 19 is pulled out to the position shown in FIG. 2, the earns 13 are turned down, at the same time as the earns 14 are turned up. The round located nearest the loading trough 8 then falls down into the trough, while the other two rounds are stopped in an intermediate position by the cams I4 (FIG. 4). The handle 19 is thereafter pushed back, and the cams l3, 14, return to the positions shown in FIG. 3, and the rounds on the loading table roll down until they are stopped by the earns 13. Thereafter, a further round can be placed on the loading table.

When the round rolls down into the loading trough 8,

as shown in FIG. 4, the trough swings down, under the 22 turns the loading trough around the shaft 21, so that the round is tipped over into the loading tray 9. The loading trough is turned up again through the action of the spring 28, and is turned back by the loader to the starting position and is blocked by means of the catch 23. The loading tray is thereafter ready to receive a new round from the loading table 6.

As soon as the round has been tipped over from the loading trough 8 to the loading tray 9, the loading tray is swung to the ramming position, as shown by the dash lines in FIG. 1. The rammer 4 is activated, and rams the round, after which the empty loading tray returns to the starting position. The procedure described above can thereafter be repeated.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the loading trough has been omitted. instead, the loading tray has been mounted on a pendulum arm 30, which is supported coaxially with the trunnion axis. The arm 30 is spring-loaded in the same way as the pendulum arm 26 of the loading trough in the embodiment according to FIGS. 1-6, so that the loading tray when empty will assume a position at the level of the loading table, and when loaded with a round it will swing down to an angle corresponding to the angle of elevation of the barrel, where the swinging movement will be halted by a stop. The loading tray is thereafter swung to the ramming position indicated by the dash lines in the same way as described above. The feeding of the rounds on the loading table also takes place in the same way as de scribed above with reference to FIGS. 2-4; however, the loading table in the embodiment according to FIG. 7 is intended to accommodate four rounds, which are transferred to the loading tray one at a time.

The use of the loading device according to the invention facilitates the loading work considerably, which has a favourable influence on both the rate of fire and the capability of maintaining fire.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown above, but. can be subjected to modifications within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. A loading device for loading an artillery piece, particularly a heavy artillery piece, comprising a loading table, a feeding mechanism, and transferring means, said loading table comprising means for carrying a number of rounds thereon, said feeding mechanism being operative to feed the rounds, one at a time, from said table to said transferring means to transfer the rounds from the loading table to a ramming position at the barrel of the piece, the loading table being connected with the traversing parts of the piece and being located at the rear at the side of the barrel with the plane of said table being inclined towards said side of the barrel, the feeding mechanism comprising a plurality of selectively movable cams disposed in spaced relation to one another adjacent said table and arranged to keep the rounds oriented on said table substantially parallel to a vertical plane through the axis of the bore of the piece, and an actuating member operative to move said cams to achieve a controlled rolling of the rounds laterally along said inclined table towards the transferring means, said feeding mechanism including two shafts arranged parallel to each other for rotation by means of said actuating member, said shafts being oriented at right angles to said vertical plane, each shaft carrying a first series of said cams equally distributed at fixed positions along the shaft and a second series of said cams equally distributed at fixed positions along the shaft, the cams of the second series being displaced at an angle and displaced in the longitudinal direction of the shaft in relation to the cams of the first series, said loading table having a plurality of slots therein through which the cams protrude, the distance between said slots for the cams of the first series and the cams of the second series, respectively, being greater than the diameter of the round.

2. A device according to claim I wherein said actuating member comprises a control rod which is provided with a plurality of pins, said pins coacting with levers provided with slots which receive said pins and which are arranged on the shafts.

3. A device according to claim I wherein the plane on the loading table that carries the rounds is inclined approximately 10.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein the transferring means comprise a loading trough and further comprise a loading tray connected with the elevating mass of the piece, the loading table being located adjacent to said loading trough, said loading trough being separate from the loading tray and being arranged to receive a round released by the cams at a position at the level of the loading table, said trough being mounted to be actuated by the weight of the round to an inclined position corresponding to the inclined position of the loading tray, the loading trough further being so mounted that it can be tilted towards the loading tray for rolling the round over laterally into the loading tray.

5. A loading device for loading an artillery piece, particularly a heavy artillery piece, comprising a loading table, a feeding mechanism, and transferring means, said loading table comprising means for carrying a plurality of rounds thereon in side by side relation to one another, said feeding mechanism being operative to feed the rounds, one at a time, from said table to said transferring means to transfer the rounds from the loading table to a ramming position at the barrel of the piece, the loading table being connected with the traversing parts of the piece and being located at the rear at the side of the barrel with the plane of said table being inclined towards said side of the barrel, the feeding mechanism comprising a plurality of selectively movable cams disposed in spaced relation to one another adjacent said table at positions between said rounds to keep the rounds oriented on said table substantially parallel to a vertical plane through the axis of the bore of the piece, and an actuating member operative to move said cams to achieve a controlled rolling of the rounds laterally along said inclined table towards the transferring means, said plurality of cams including at least one series of first cams oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to said vertical plane, at least one series of second cams also oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to said vertical plane but located in displaced relation to said first cams respectively, said loading table having a first plurality of slots therein through which said first cams may selectively protrude into positions between said rounds and a second plurality of slots therein, displaced from said first slots, through which said second cams may selectively protrude into positions between said rounds, said series of first and second cams being so arranged relative to one another and relative to their respective slots that when one of said series protrudes through the slots associated with said one series the other series does not in said loading table, said shaft being mounted for rotation under the control of said actuating member, a plurality of said first cams being spaced from one another along said shaft, and a plurality of said second cams being spaced from one another along said shaft at positions between said first cams in angularly displaced relation to said first cams respectively. 

1. A loading device for loading an artillery piece, particularly a heavy artillery piece, comprising a loading table, a feeding mechanism, and transferring means, said loading table comprising means for carrying a number of rounds thereon, said feeding mechanism being operative to feed the rounds, one at a time, from said table to said transferring means to transfer the rounds from the loading table to a ramming position at the barrel of the piece, the loading table being connected with the traversing parts of the piece and being located at the rear at the side of the barrel with the plane of said table being inclined towards said side of the barrel, the feeding mechanism comprising a plurality of selectively movable cams disposed in spaced relation to one another adjacent said table and arranged to keep the rounds oriented on said table substantially parallel to a vertical plane through the axis of the bore of the piece, and an actuating member operative to move said cams to achieve a controlled rolling of the rounds laterally along said inclined table towards the transferring means, said feeding mechanism including two shafts arranged parallel to each other for rotation by means of said actuating member, said shafts being oriented at right angles to said vertical plane, each shaft carrying a first series of said cams equally distributed at fixed positions along the shaft and a second series of said cams equally distributed at fixed positions along the shaft, the cams of the second series being displaced at an angle and displaced in the longitudinal direction of the shaft in relation to the cams of the first series, said loading table having a plurality oF slots therein through which the cams protrude, the distance between said slots for the cams of the first series and the cams of the second series, respectively, being greater than the diameter of the round.
 2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said actuating member comprises a control rod which is provided with a plurality of pins, said pins coacting with levers provided with slots which receive said pins and which are arranged on the shafts.
 3. A device according to claim 1 wherein the plane on the loading table that carries the rounds is inclined approximately 10*.
 4. A device according to claim 1 wherein the transferring means comprise a loading trough and further comprise a loading tray connected with the elevating mass of the piece, the loading table being located adjacent to said loading trough, said loading trough being separate from the loading tray and being arranged to receive a round released by the cams at a position at the level of the loading table, said trough being mounted to be actuated by the weight of the round to an inclined position corresponding to the inclined position of the loading tray, the loading trough further being so mounted that it can be tilted towards the loading tray for rolling the round over laterally into the loading tray.
 5. A loading device for loading an artillery piece, particularly a heavy artillery piece, comprising a loading table, a feeding mechanism, and transferring means, said loading table comprising means for carrying a plurality of rounds thereon in side by side relation to one another, said feeding mechanism being operative to feed the rounds, one at a time, from said table to said transferring means to transfer the rounds from the loading table to a ramming position at the barrel of the piece, the loading table being connected with the traversing parts of the piece and being located at the rear at the side of the barrel with the plane of said table being inclined towards said side of the barrel, the feeding mechanism comprising a plurality of selectively movable cams disposed in spaced relation to one another adjacent said table at positions between said rounds to keep the rounds oriented on said table substantially parallel to a vertical plane through the axis of the bore of the piece, and an actuating member operative to move said cams to achieve a controlled rolling of the rounds laterally along said inclined table towards the transferring means, said plurality of cams including at least one series of first cams oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to said vertical plane, at least one series of second cams also oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to said vertical plane but located in displaced relation to said first cams respectively, said loading table having a first plurality of slots therein through which said first cams may selectively protrude into positions between said rounds and a second plurality of slots therein, displaced from said first slots, through which said second cams may selectively protrude into positions between said rounds, said series of first and second cams being so arranged relative to one another and relative to their respective slots that when one of said series protrudes through the slots associated with said one series the other series does not protrude through the slots associated with said other series, said actuating member being operative alternatively to cause said first cams to protrude through said first slots or said second cams to protrude through said second slots thereby to achieve said controlled rolling of said rounds.
 6. The device of claim 5 wherein said cams are supported on at least one shaft disposed adjacent the slots in said loading table, said shaft being mounted for rotation under the control of said actuating member, a plurality of said first cams being spaced from one another along said shaft, and a plurality of said second cams being spaced from one another along said shaft at positions between said first cams in angularly displaced relation to said first cams respectively. 